Background

THE ASSOCIATION APIARY SHENMORE

The association has an apiary on a site owned by the Duchy of Cornwall in Shenmore (nr Madley).
OS Sheet OL13 GR392378
The apiary was established in 2011 using a grant for equipment from Herefordshire Council and the purchase of 2 over wintered nuclei from Jim Vivian-Griffiths in the Forest of Dean, and installed on 10 April 2011. We have now expanded the number of colonies to 8 and have plans increase numbers again and then to develop the sale of Nucleus colonies to our members.

Honey yields have been variable from the apiary, but in most years they have accounted for much of the cost of running the apiary.

The purpose of the apiary is to:

Give the graduates of the association’s annual beginners course the opportunity to consolidate what they have learned on the course and to satisfy the BBKA's entrance requirements, if they have not acquired their own bees, to take the Basic Certificate examination in the following year.

Provide a venue and sufficient stocks of bees for members to prepare for and take the BBKA's Basic Certificate examination and/or General Husbandry examination.

Provide a venue where all WVBKA members are welcome and can learn more about good beekeeping practices and exchange good practice and experiences.

The adjacent shooting lodge is ideal for small meetings with all the necessary facilities including a small kitchen. Ray the forester, who lives next to the site has made us very welcome and has kept the apiary manager informed of the bees' activities. However it is not intended for the site to become a “Bee tourism destination”, which would annoy Ray and the bees so please clear any planned activity with the apiary manager in advance.

Details of proposed activities will be publicised on this website and through the association newsletter.